What assembly is responsible for fusing toner to paper through heat and pressure?

The fuser assembly is the critical component in a laser printer responsible for bonding the toner to the paper using a combination of heat and pressure. Once the toner has been applied to the paper during the printing process, it is in a dry form and must be permanently affixed. The fuser assembly accomplishes this by passing the printed paper through heated rollers. The heat causes the toner particles to melt and adhere to the paper fibers, while the pressure from the rollers ensures a strong bond.

This process creates the final printout, ensuring that the text and images do not smudge or rub off. The fuser assembly is essential for producing high-quality, durable prints, making it a vital component in the overall functioning of a laser printer. Other components like the transfer belt, duplex assembly, or paper separation pad serve different functions in the printing process, such as moving paper through the printer, enabling double-sided printing, or separating individual sheets of paper, but they do not perform the fusing function.